Mikawashima Water Reclamation Center

Mikawashima Water Reclamation Center is a wastewater treatment facility in Arakawa with large basins and underground channels for processing used water. The structure includes original settling chambers and walk-through sewers that show the engineering approaches of its time.

The facility was built in 1922 as Japan's first modern wastewater treatment plant and operated continuously until shutting down in 1999. These decades show how it helped Tokyo transform from struggling with waste management into a modern city.

The red brick structure with its original pumping equipment shows the industrial engineering that shaped how cities grew in Japan. Walking through it, you see how this work touched the daily lives of many people.

Visitors can join guided tours on multiple days of the week by reserving in advance. The site is easy to access and tours guide you through underground areas where you can see the original equipment up close.

The settling chambers beneath the building have unreinforced concrete walls that have cracked over time, showing how materials aged differently then. These cracks silently tell the story of wear and the passage of decades.

Location: Arakawa

Inception: 1922

Website: https://gesui.metro.tokyo.lg.jp/business/b4/guide/sise-list/03-02

GPS coordinates: 35.73872,139.78519

Latest update: December 11, 2025 18:06